August 31 Weekly Brief!

Will you accept our September Bike Challenge to take at least 4 round-trip bike trips around town this month?

A cool breeze is in the air and we're making it easier than ever for you to join in the goal of driving 1,000,000 less miles this year. The Strava app now integrates with our Way2Go CLT Sustainable Transportation Challenge to effortlessly track your walking and biking trips!

If you're already participating in Way2Go CLT, you'll receive an email from us this Friday with details about how to participate in the September Bike Challenge and set up the optional Strava integration. We're giving away ten pairs of Biketoberfest tickets with t-shirts -- a $50 value!

We'll also still hold the regular monthly challenge for those of you who prefer to walk, ride transit, carpool, or work from home. You can log your trips through the Way2Go dashboard or the account-connected Strava (bike & walk only) or Commute Tracker apps. It's your choice!

Today we're sharing the story of Jamie Lee, our summer intern from Providence High School who helped to organize, lead, and interpret bus stop walkability audits for our Walk2Transit project funded by Transit Center. Read Jamie's blog post about what he learned from the experience and his advice for other young people interested in sustainability!

Sustain Charlotte seeks a part-time Program Coordinator to help us make the Charlotte region a better place to live for current and future generations. We have a team culture that is invested in making a difference!

Join our Biketoberfest 2017 planning committee and help make the event a success!

Biketoberfest is sure to be even bigger and better than last year with your help. Committee responsibilities include soliciting raffle items, recruiting volunteers (for set up and day of) and asking businesses along the route to host a stop. Commitment includes bi-weekly meetings (meetings are approximately one hour long at a local brewery:)) up until the event. Click here for committee roles and responsibilities. If you are interested in becoming a committee member, please email laura.heiser@sustaincharlotte.org.

Our third annual Biketoberfest is going to be an epic event, and we need your help to make it a success!

Volunteer tasks include stamping passports for participants, checking people in at the registration table, distributing t-shirts, and helping with the raffle. There are also two opportunities to help with a protected bike lane demonstration installation!

WHERE: Triple C Brewing in Charlotte's South End @ 2900 Griffith Street (really close to the New Bern light rail station and the rail trail), and various locations along the route.

Build your neighborhood leadership skills and network!

The 2017 Neighborhood Exchange & Leadership Awards on September 23 will offer you and more than 250 other Charlotte residents the opportunity to determine the discussion topics and drive the conversation about ways to empower our neighborhoods! From discussions around farmers markets and bicycle lanes to police community relations, the group selects the discussion topics that matter most to them. Visit charlottenc.gov/nex or call 704-336-3380 to register to attend this FREE event!

"Affordable housing has been a more prominent issue in Charlotte in recent years, as both rent and house prices surge far faster than income." If you've moved to Charlotte recently or tried to move to a new property, you're likely aware that it's becoming increasingly difficult to find non-luxury rental housing. The choices we make now will determine whether our teachers, police, and lower-income residents are able to remain in our community.

"We need to recognize the need to invest in the social health of our community. This housing situation has created a polarization you can see in the segregation of schools. There’s a burden on all of us. We need to look at the system as a whole." Listen in as Mike Collins hosts City Council members Ed Driggs and LaWana Mayfield and Charlotte Observer reporter Ely Portillo for a discussion about affordable housing challenges and opportunities in Charlotte.

"Unlike driving drunk or not wearing a seat belt, which have been the subject of sustained national attention for decades, there’s little stigma against driving too fast." Speeding and running red lights in Charlotte are serious problems that destroy lives. We support city efforts to step up enforcement so that everyone who walks, bikes, rides transit, or drives can travel safely.

“This is the first time that there has been a formal strategy to practice racial equity in government within the City of New Orleans.” Charlotte suffers from economic, social, and environmental injustice related to racial inequities. We would like to see our local government adopt and implement a formal strategy to build equity!

* September 13 *: Join us for an informal and fun evening of conversation and networking at our September Monthly Mixer! At 6:45, our program will begin and you'll hear from Architect and Planner Tom Low of Civic by Design as he presents Light Imprint for walkable green infrastructure. This leaner, lighter approach to infrastructure is more cost-effective, sustainable, and livable—an idea worth considering for Charlotte and beyond.

* October 22 *: Biketoberfest is a unique event that lets you discover how easy it is to get around Charlotte without driving! Bike around town to fun destinations while collecting stamps in your official Biketoberfest Passport. The stamps you collect on your passport at official destinations will be entered in a raffle for many fantastic prizes! Then, gather for an after party celebration with live music and an exciting raffle! This is a family-friendly event. Kids under 18 participate for free. Want a free ticket? Sign up for a short volunteer shift!

August 31 (TONIGHT!): You’re invited to meet and hear the candidates for Mayor, City Council At-Large and City Council Districts 6 and 7 at the South CLT Candidate Forum, 6:15pm-9:00pm at WR Davie Conference Center.

September 2: Learn about sustainability during International Vulture Awareness Day at the Carolina Raptor Center as Sustain Charlotte's Program Director Meg Fencil presents two interactive family-friendly talks (11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.) about Charlotte's environmental challenges and practical ways for you to help! Event is included in cost of regular admission to the Raptor Center.

September 12: Participate in interactive focused sessions for stakeholders in the tree industry, enjoy cocktails or concurrent classes, screen the movie “Felled” and listen to a panel discussion on Charlotte’s Urban Forest Master Plan at the TreesCharlotte Urban Forestry Summit.

September 17th: Caritas Acapella Ensemble is holding an acapella concert entitled For the Beauty of the Earth: Songs about Nature. Led by Artistic Director Cathy Youngblood, this auditioned ensemble will bring an interesting variety of music featuring works by Weelkes, Schumann, Whitacre, Esenvalds, Trotta and Stopford, among others. A portion of the concert proceeds will benefit Sustain Charlotte! There will be two concert times and locations: 3pm at Davidson College Presbyterian Church and 7pm at Sharon Presbyterian Church Chapel. To support Sustain Charlotte and purchase tickets, call 980-272-8556 or visit www.caritasacapella.org.

September 28: View the acclaimed documentary Citizen Jane: Battle For The City, which chronicles activist Jane Jacobs' battles with developers who threatened to demolish New York City's most historic neighborhoods. Panel discussion and Q&A to follow.

September 29 & 30: Sustain Charlotte has partnered with Carolina Jubilee 2017, which means you can support two great LOCAL non-profits with your ticket purchase! This festival includes great music, good food, and is centered around bringing the Carolinas together to support local farming and community businesses. Use discount code SUSTAINCLT (case sensitive) and half of the ticket proceeds will be donated to Sustain Charlotte and the other to the Carolina Farm Trust!

October 4: How many tacos can you down in 10 minutes?! Think you have what it takes to win?? In the spirit of National Taco Day, Wednesday October 4th, Vida Vida is hosting its FIRST EVER Taco Eating Contest!!! Proceeds benefit Sustain Charlotte including $1 back for EVERY TACO SOLD all day, and a portion of contest entry fees. Each competitor gets a $20 Vida gift card and a chance to win the GRAND PRIZE! Click here for more information and/or to sign up as a participant with a $25 entry fee.

October 15: Open Streets 704 is back with an afternoon of car-free fun for the whole family! Check out the newly released route map.

We're happy to announce that Optima Engineering has renewed their commitment to the Sustain Charlotte Partner Network and has upgraded to the Silver level! We're proud to have their support of our work and your community!

MANY THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS

Is your company interested in joining the Sustain Charlotte Partner Network? Our generous partners play a critical role in supporting our work. Through our corporate membership program, we provide year-round brand exposure, positive publicity, and business development opportunities to those businesses and nonprofits that are helping make our community more sustainable through their products, services, or commitment to move their organization towards greater sustainability. Become a partner today!